Ioudas

Ioudas is the Greek form of the given name Judas (Latin Iudas), used in the Greek texts of the New Testament and in later Christian writings to refer to several individuals. The name itself comes from a Hebrew form, Yehudah, meaning something like “praise to Yah” or “thanksgiving to Yah.” In early Christian literature, Ioudas is used for more than one person, which can lead to confusion outside of careful reading.

The most famous bearer is Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Apostles who betrayed Jesus to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver. In the Gospel accounts, his act of betrayal leads to Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion. Afterward, Judas’s death is described differently in the New Testament: Matthew 27:5 states that he hanged himself, while Acts 1:18 recounts that his body fell and burst open in a field. Some scholars view these as complementary traditions rather than contradictory details.

Other figures named Judas appear in the New Testament. Judas the son of James, one of the Twelve, is often called Judas Thaddeus or Jude, and is listed among the apostles in Luke 6:16. In John 14:22, another disciple is identified as “Judas, not Iscariot.” This Judas is traditionally associated with Saint Jude, a figure venerated in Christian traditions as the patron saint of lost causes.

Outside the canonical texts, the Gospel of Judas, a 2nd‑century Gnostic text discovered in the 20th century, presents a different portrait of Judas, portraying him as acting on Jesus’s instruction. It is regarded as non-canonical by mainstream Christian churches but is part of broad scholarly discussions on early Christian diversity.

In contemporary usage, Ioudas remains the scholarly Greek form used when referring to these figures in historical and textual contexts.